Lead Data Analyst, Institutional Research

$106,700 - $165,400/Yr

Western Governors University - Salt Lake City, UT

Full-time - Senior

Salt Lake City, UT

Educational Services

About the position

The Lead Data Analyst for Institutional Research at Western Governors University (WGU) is responsible for extracting, processing, analyzing, and reporting on data to produce actionable insights that support data-informed decision-making across the university. This role involves collaboration with various teams to enhance student outcomes through rigorous research and analytics, while also establishing strong relationships with stakeholders to ensure effective communication and project management.

Responsibilities

• Drive the documentation of data, analytics, and research needs in complex projects with a student and equity-centered lens.
• Lead the translation of user stories into technical requirements.
• Set and manage expectations about complex analytics tasks through effective communication with partners and stakeholders.
• Answer complex business questions requiring extensive knowledge of the university's data assets across several domains.
• Identify adequate data sources and data sets to evaluate hypotheses and produce forecasts.
• Collaborate with Data Engineering in the development of complex ETL/ELT processes and data pipelines.
• Identify, investigate, and solve complex data issues to ensure data accuracy and validity.
• Define standards and best practices that increase data quality across the university.
• Combine data analysis, visualization, and narrative structures to convey information compellingly.
• Participate in defining data visualization standards and promote their adoption across the university.
• Utilize software, scripts, and algorithms to perform data-related tasks without human intervention.
• Convey information effectively to peers, partners, and senior leaders using various resources and formats.
• Create and organize information about processes, projects, operations, and insights from analyses and research.
• Write and interpret technical documentation related to data models.
• Contribute to the development of the university's data management platforms.
• Play a prominent role in the development of team members through feedback and knowledge sharing.
• Drive tasks and medium-scale projects with high levels of autonomy and collaboration.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• 7 years of experience in Data Analysis, Business Intelligence, Data Science, Statistics, or a related domain, including 5 years focused on executive reporting, target setting, and forecasting.
• Advanced SQL proficiency, including experience with queries, data modification, and performance tuning.
• Experience in conceptual and logical data modeling, including dimensional models and advanced concepts like slowly changing dimensions.
• Proficiency in using Tableau and Power BI for data presentation and visualization.
• Familiarity with descriptive statistics, causal analysis, and forecasting methods.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with Snowflake and regression analysis.
• Knowledge of data security risks and mitigation actions.

Benefits

• Health savings account
• Paid holidays
• Disability insurance
• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid sick time